Circuit-continuing device



Aug. 11, 1925.

- H. A. DOUGLAS CIRCUIT CONTINUINQDEVICE Filed A rii 4, 1921 wry J7,fiaagicza Patented Aug. ll, 1925.

UNITED STATES- HARRY A, DOUGLAS, OE BBONSON, HICHIGA'N.

CIRCUIT-CONTINUING DEVICE.

' Application filed April 4, 1821. Serial No. 458,558.=

To all whom it may concern:-

'Be it known that I, HARRY A. DOUGLAS,

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Bronson, in the county. of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Continuing Devices, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to circuit continuing devices and has a number ofobjects and advantages in view. In accordance with one of thecharactertistics of my invention one of two complemental contacts ispreferably made hollow and has a carrier which surrounds a portionthereof, the hollow contact being in sliding engagement with thiscarrier, the engaging surfaces of the carrier and the hollow contactbeing non-circular to prevent the hollow contact from turning within itscarrier.

In accordance with another characteristic of my invention I employ aconductor which is surrounded 'by and is fastened to the hollow contact,the engaging surfaces of the conductor and hollow contact beingnoncircular' to prevent relative rotation therebetween. .L.

Another feature of my invention resides in the employment of asubstantially rigid conductor electrically connectedwith one of thecontacts, a spring pressing this contact into engagement with itscomplement, and a guiding element surrounding a portion of saidconductor that is in sliding enga'gement with said guiding element, theengaging surfaces of said guiding element and conductor beingnon-circular to prevent relative rotation thereof.

One of the. contacts is desirably connected in circuit by means of twoconductors that have overlapping ends, one of these ends of oneconductor being provided wlth angular ears between which the-otherconductor is passed to obstruct relative turning movebeingenlarged toexceed the space between.

adjacent ears to prevmit separation of the conductors by their relativel movement. An assembling bolt is employed ongitudinalwhich isconcentric with the circular row of angular ears and which passesthrough the conductors to hold them in selected relations, angular orotherwise, which is defined by the ears between which the conductorhaving the enlarged end happens to be passed.

Another conductor may also be clamped between and positioned by adjacentears.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view, partially in section andpartially in full elevation, of a circuit coupler equipped in accordancewith the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view takenat right angles to the direction in which Fig. 1 is taken showing partsin section and parts in elevation; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal view of apart of a modification of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof separated in this figure; and Fig. 6 is a overlapping conductorswhich are shown pers ective view showing one of the contacts of t edevice.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe difierent cludes a metallic shell 1 formed at one end with bayonetslots 2 having bayonet seats 3. formed therein. The base ,4 ofanincandescant lamp 5' is shown assembled -with the sheel 1 by means ofthe bayonet pin 6 upon the lamp base, these pins being passed throughthe bayonet slots 2 into engagement with the bayonet seats 3. In theform of the invention illustrated. the circuit continuing device is aso-called single pole structure in Which the lamp base is provided witha metallic sheath that constitutes one terminal of the lam filament andelectrically contacts with t e metallic shell '1 that is included ingrounded circuit with the source of current. The other terminal of thelamp filament is -a contact 7 that is upon the inner face; of the lampbase and en ges the contact 8. This contact 8 inclu es a hollow thimbleshaped metallic member 9 which is coupled with a flat substantiallyrigid conductor 10 whose inner end is riveted to the end wall of thecon- .tact member 9 to constitue a supplemental part thereof. Contactmember 9 is surrounded by an insulating contact carrier 11 a member.

held in an assembly with the shell 1.

by any suitable means such, for example, as the clamping ears 12 struckinwardly from the shell into holding engagement with, the carrier. Theconductor 10 is preferably flat and oblong in cross section and isfurther assembled with the contact member 9 by being received in grooves13 formed ,within the contact member 9 on diametrically opposite sidesthereof. These grooves prevent relative turning movement of the contactmember 9 and the conductor 10, the riveting atthe inner end of saidconductor also takingpart in preventing relative turnmg movement of theconductor and contact Grooves 13 are desirably formed by pressing themetal of the contact member 9 outwardly whereby external ribs 14 arealso formed upon said contact member. These I'lbS serve as splines topermit the contact member to move within the contact carrier 11 withoutturning with respect thereto, said contact carrier conforming in shapeto the rib portlon of said contact member that is in shdm en agementwiththe carrier where surroun ed t ereby. v

The outer end of the hollow contact member 9 is desirably formed with aflange 15 to afford a broad area of engagement for the inner end of thecoiled spring 16 which surrounds the conductor 10. The outer end of thisspring engages a guiding element, 17 WhlGh is preferably in the form ofa disc which is fixed in an end of the shell 1. The

conductor 10 is in sliding engagement with this guiding element that isformed with an oblong opening conforming to the cross sectional area ofsaid conductor which is thus prevented from turning with respect to thegulde whereby the turning of the hollow contact member 9 is furtherguarded against. I prefer the particular forms of non-circular contoursof the conductor 10 and hollow contact element 9 which are i1- lustratedbut I do not wish to be limited thereto, nor do I desire to be limitedto the hollowness of contact 9.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is generallysimilar to that illustrated in Figs. 1- and 2, similar parts be inggiven similar characters of reference. Inthe construction of-Figs. 3 and4'there are twohollo'w contact members 9 which are engageable with'twocontacts that are then provided upon the inner face of the lamp asewhich need not be'providedwith a me-' tallic sheath as the shell 1 wouldnot then be included in the electrical circuit.

I The conductor 10 has its outer end'formed into a circular enlargementwhich carries severalangularflears- 18 that define a pluralthe con ityof spaces 19- between which a substantially rigid conductor 20,complemental 'to uctor 10, may be received. The conductor 20 has anenlarged circular and "21 which conforms in diameter to the diamtor 10,a'metallic washer 25 being preferably interposed between the overlappingends of the conductors. These washers 25 may themselves be the enlargedends of other conductors 26. The outer end of each conductor 20 may beformed into a split clamping ring 27- to enclose and "grip the serving28 surrounding the circuit "'wire 29. The serving is removed from theextreme end of the wire 29 which is clamped between the conductor 20 andthe cars 30 integrally formed with said conductor. The conductors 26 mayhave formations 27 30 similar to the parts 27 and 30 and provided for asimilar purpose.

Characteristics not herein claimed will form the subject matter-ofadivision of this application. v While I have herein shown andparticularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do notwish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown aschanges may readily be made without dearting from the spirit of myinvent1on, but having thus described my invention I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent thefollowingz- A. circuit continuingdevice having two complemental contacts one of which is hollow, thehollowcontact having a longitud nal portion which is pressed outwardlyto form an external rib and an internal groove; a conductor assembledwith said hollow contact within said groove; a carrier for andsurrounding and conforming in shape to the ribbed portion of said ollowcontact that is in shding. en gement with the'carrier ;-and ,'a springor ressing the hollow contact against its comp ement. V .In witnesswhereof, I hereunto subscribe

